The Republican journal., 1887-05-26
Concerning Compulsory Pilotage.

:" To THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL: l SCI
that Congress has laid the bill to abolish com
pulsory pilotage on the table. Before enter
: into discussion of this unjust action desire
to express my obligation to the Belfast Journa
for publishing my letters. If there is anythin:
r in the world that an honest man must ,letest i
is that law which compeIs him to contribute
! to the support of an organization whose ser
vices he neither asks for nor requires and
whose sentinels are to be found posted at every
commercial gateway in the United States tt
: compel the payment of toll. As we approach
the land freighted with the productions of 9th.
er climcs the toll collectors stand ready to vie
timizc us. They 90 not ask you if you require
their services, but command you to come back
and receive them on board; and it is not an lln-
usual thing. especially if it be nighttime. for
them to inquire how much water you are draw
ing before they know where you are from.
That done, they ask you if you have seen amy
biz ships, and on being told that you have,
and their direction, they come on board, make
private bargain for two-thir,s piIotagc, and
leave you for the big fish.
This compulsory piotage is not only con-
trary to every principle Of justice and right,
but is unconstitutional, because the Con>t,;-
ton of the United States strictly forhi,lS that
one State shall tax the commerce of another
state. Is not ship the production of the
State in which She is built: But any floating
substance seems to be considered fit thing for
public plunder. In some parts of England Il
| church rate exists which compels every man to
| pay certain sum for the benefit of the church,
| whether he ever sees the interior of the church
or not. This unjust law has long since ceased
| to exist in America and any man is free to pay
or not to pay for the support OF religion. He
| is also at liberty to attend any church he
chooses and to travel the public highway. and
| the public are responsible for any accident that
may happen to him by any defect in the road.
bridge or sidewalk over which he travels. lie
can send his children to the public school as
| soon as he lands in America in ease he be
foreigner, and after Il short residence he be-
comes voter and has a voice in the direction
of public affairs. He is Il lawful citizen with
| broSuc or without it, and is taxed according to
the property he owns. Yet With all this justice
and equality, with all this freedom, that man is
ocean. lie must pay a toll as soon as he at
| tempt> to enter our harbors from a foreign
| lanl il he be in command of a vessel. There
| are but few states which do not exact this pilot
| t"H when entering their ports from other
| States. Is not this the taxing by one State of
| the commerce of another State: Will any HON
| est man with full knowledge of the Injustice of
ht nj 1ot l.u hot IL
thing else than an imposition and an outrage
on the merchant marine of this country,--this
thrnStin@ "f the hand into the pockets of mas
ters an, owners of vessels and taking there
| from. by process of law, fees for services not
| rendered. not asked for, and not required?
And yet. with this unjust law before them,
the evidence of which it was their duty TO OBJ
| tain, the Congress of this great country sees fit
to lay the bill to abolish this evil upon the ta-
bic. They have consented to allow the toll col
! lectors to plumber while longer. Possibly
Congress thinks the pilots are not rich enough
to retire from their long process of pIuntlcrng
by law (for can give it no other name) and
give the merchant marine Il rest. Il spell of res
pic They have agreed to let them blockade
the public highway at least for another year
longer and Mr.. Pilot clears his throat for
another year of undiSputed off shore hail. Had
our forefathers been tardy in their oppose
ton to the British ministry as the Government
Of the United States is towards its merchant
marine, we would have been to this lav under
the rule of Great Britain. instead of enjoying
this free Government that looks on in silent
submission while we are plundcre'l of our hard
earnings by the most unjust combination that
ever existed.
Why should pilots be protected in their
business any more than any one else. Whv
should they live at the expense of the mer-
chant marine. with their fees fixed by Il State
law: Let pilots engage in business like other
people, If their trade is right AMI Just they
do not require any more protection than other
occupations. The compelling every person
who comes in contact with them to contribute
to their support is eNtortion on the one side.
and on the other side submission to a law that
every honest man must dete>t. 1t takes from
me every year two hundred dollars of my hard
earnings. without rendering me the least desired
services For the services rendered il take
pilot can perform better without them.
Congress can lay the bill to abolish this unjust
law on the table and let it remain there at their
pleasure. ! would speak respectfully of the
honorable member who made the motion to Law
the bill on the table, while lis for those who yo-
ed to >helve it, the time will come when others
will fill tn" places they now occupy. As time
passes people will begin To understand what an
unjust law this is, and will elect men who are
ple,lgcdto vote against it or Use their influence
to abolish it. 1t is impossible that such law
should much longer exist in this free land
The element from which Congress fakes its
rise will pronounce their enlightened Judgment
against it.
There will bea time when any ship flying the
Stars and Stripes will have unoi>putcd passage
INTO our harhor> without passport of toll Let
the pilots remain rs they are. If they choose
to prosecute their business. do not disturb
them, but abolish compulsory pilotage. Give
Us a chance to keep command of our own ships
while entering the harborS OF the United States
GIVE lis chance to think for ourselves, with
out paving two hundred dollars Il year for
others to think for us. There are only three
classes of people in the United States that are
III iNoi vi compulsory pllOGlSe law.
First. the Insurance Companies are in favor
of it. because they have the risk of ship and
cargo and the pilot may possibly render her
passage from dock to sea more safe. They pay
none of the pilotage but are willing that It
should continue at the expense of the Master
and owners
Second, the people who are living from the
spos of this plunder, such as pilot commits
soncrS. collectors, Sc. You ask these people
about compulsory pilotage, and they will say at
once that it is just the law that ought to exist
They know all about it, or pretend to, but in
reality they know nothing about it.
Third, the pilots themselves.
Those who are opposed to this law are the
shipowners, the merchants, brokers, masters of
vessels. The public generally consider this an
unjust law, and ninety-tivc per cent. of the
element that support pilots are opposed to this
unjust law. The very people who know the
least about it the ones that keep the not
boiling in the State Legislatures and wage war
against every attempt to abolish it.
We want to be at liberty to take or reject
pilot without being compelled to pay them
when we do not need their services. We want
the compulsory pilotage law abolished We
want the free use of the harbors in the United